Wedding Craze
by Bedazzle Me
Summary: We all know Matt’s mum died when he was young and we all know he doesn’t speak to his father anymore. So what happens when he receives an invitation…to his father’s wedding?
1. Chapter 1

**Name:**_ Wedding Craze_

**Author: **_Beccy_

**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own Standoff nor any of its characters. Anyone you don't recognize is mine!! All mine!!_

**Summary:**_ We all know Matt's mum died when he was young and we all know he doesn't speak to his father anymore. So what happens when he receives and invitation…to his father's wedding?_

**Author's Note:**_ This idea was rolling around in my head and it wouldn't leave me alone…so I decided to just write it down. And here's the result! Hope you like it!_

**xxx**

"WHAT!!"

A very shocked Matt stood in his living room with his mouth gaping as he stared at the piece of paper he held in his hands. His eyes were open so wide that they were starting to water. A crash from outside startled him out of his reverie and he shook his head to clear his thoughts. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out as he sat down on his couch. He kept staring at the small piece of paper, hoping it would spontaneously combust.

"I can't believe this," he whispered to himself.

He was shocked! No, scratch that, he was flabbergasted. One would never had known that a tiny piece of gold and silver paper would leave a fully grown man at a loss for words.

A knock resounded throughout the silent apartment. Matt's head turned towards the door and he dropped the source of his discomfort on the table as he got up and moved to answer the door.

"I come bearing Chinese food," Emily said with a smile as soon as Matt has opened the door wide enough for him to see her.

She gave him a kiss on the cheek as she entered his apartment. She set the bags filled with food on the coffee table and made her was into the kitchen. Matt closed the front door and sat down on the couch again. As Emily got the forks from the drawer and two bottles of water from his fridge, Matt took the food out of the plastic bags and opened the containers before setting them on the table.

"Thank god it's Friday." Emily said as she sat down. "What were you doing before I got here?"

"Just thinking," he answered as he took a forkful of fried rice and ate it.

"Don't think too much, wouldn't want to overdo it," she said laughing softly.

She turned her head when she realized that he wasn't listening. She could tell that something was bothering him but she didn't know what to do. How to get him to tell her.

'Should I ask him what's wrong?' she asked herself. 'Or should I wait until he says something? But knowing him, he wasn't going to voluntarily tell me anything. So..'

"What's up?" she finally asked him. "Matt?" she said when he didn't answer. She touched his arm hoping to get some kind of reaction out of him. 

"Huh? What?" he asked, jumping slightly.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked him again.

"Nothing, its just…" he sighed. "My dad's getting remarried, and he wants me to be at the wedding."

She breathed in deeply, "Are you going to go?"

"No. Yes. I don't know. Maybe?" he said, resting his head in his hands. "I guess I'm just surprised. I mean, I haven't spoken to him in years and suddenly, out of the blue, he's going to get married and he want me to be there? And to top it all off, I know it's stupid to be thinking this but…I can't help thinking that he's just forgetting about mum. I know!" he said when he saw her opening her mouth. "My mum's been dead for a very long time and its basically a miracle that he's been single for so long but, I just can't help it."

"Oh Matt," Emily whispered as she hugged him. "It'll be ok."

"Do you think I should go?" he asked her.

She thought about it for a moment and then answered him, "Yeah, I think you should."

"Why?"

"Well, I think that it'd be good for you to see your dad again after so long. He's taken a big step at contacting you and he wants you to be there for him when he gets remarried. I just, I think you should try and get that father-son relationship back, because the day will come when w-you have your own kids and you might decide you want to have that same relationship with your dad…and it might be too late."

During her small rant, she didn't realize that he'd looked up and been staring at her in wonder. He couldn't believe that he'd found someone as wonderful as her. He was in awe at how beauty and brains could be wrapped up so well in one person. He was turning into a mushy, hopeless romantic but he found that he didn't care.

Once Emily had finished her small speech, she turned her head to find Matt looking at her.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said smiling, "I just can't believe how beautiful you are."

"Shut up," Emily said quietly as a reddish tinge began to make its way up her neck and blush stained her cheeks.

"Oh my god, you're blushing."

"No I'm not."

"Oh, yes you are!" he said, grinning.

"Be quiet," she said, trying to conceal her smile.

He hugged her lightly as he laughed. His laughter was contagious as Emily soon found herself laughing with him. Once the laughter had died down, Matt gave Emily a chaste kiss on the lips. They were both left smiling contently and Emily snuggled herself deep into Matt's chest and she flung her legs over so that they were resting on his lap.

"I'll go," he said.

"Good," she whispered.

And that's how sunshine greeted them the next morning.

**xxx**

_Love it? Hate it? Let me know!!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Woah! I can't believe I got so many reviews!! Happiness!! Anyway, here's the next chapter...review just as much! Or more Hehe. _

_I took the fact that the show doesn't say anything about her family and ran with it. This is what my muse came up with. Hope ya'll like it…_

**xxx**

The bright morning sunlight was what woke them the next morning. Matt was the first to wake. He tried to rub his eyes only to find that his right arm was busy being lent on by Emily. He stared down at her and began to watch her as she slept. He just couldn't get enough of her. He hoped she didn't wake up and catch him staring because he didn't want to tell her what was running through his mind. He was afraid that he'd make a complete fool out of himself if he told her what he felt for her and she told him she didn't feel the same way.

A few minutes later, Emily woke up. She tried to open her eyes but she groaned and quickly shut them when the harsh light connected with her still tired eyes. She tried to turn her body around only to realize that that was nearly impossible, so she settled for only turning her head.

"Good morning," Matt said.

"Morning," Emily replied. "What time is it?"

"Too early to be awake on a work-free Saturday morning," he answered after giving the clock above the TV a brief glance.

"Let's go to bed then. We'll be more comfortable there," She said, getting up from Matt's embrace and instantly missing his warmth.

Matt groaned loudly when he tried to move his right arm. Instantly, he felt the pins and needles start up on his arm. He tried to shake them off but they just came back pinning and needling harder. He got up and entered his room only to find that Emily was already counting sheep in bed. He got rid of his shirt and jeans and crept into bed beside her. He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her as she laid her head on his chest and draped her arm around his waist.

**xxx**

Emily was the first to wake this time. She turned and looked at a peacefully sleeping Matt. She smiled as she lent forward and gave his lips a quick peck. He didn't even stir so she kissed him for longer. Matt woke up and put his hand on the back of her head and pulled her closer to him. The kiss was soft and the perfect way to start the day. They smiled as Matt returned his hand to his side and Emily re-laid her head on his chest. They stayed in that position for a few minutes, in comfortable silence.

"Tell me about your family," Matt said suddenly, breaking the silence.

Emily felt herself tense at his words, "Wh-What do you want to know?" she stuttered.

"Pretty much all there is to know. Why don't you ever talk about your parents? Do you have any brothers or sisters? Things like that," he told her.

"Well," she said taking a deep breath. "Where do I start?"

"From the beginning would be nice," he said with a laugh.

"Ha ha," she replied sarcastically. "Ok. Well my parents are well off, rich basically and ever since I can remember, I always wanted to go to university. But ever since I can remember, my mum had been prepping me to be the perfect trophy wife. Clean, cook, iron, things like that. See my mums pretty old-fashioned, very old-fashioned, and when the time came to hand in my applications, she told me that I wasn't going to go, that they weren't going to pay for it. …"

"_What? Why not?" Emily exclaimed._

"_Because we just don't see the point in it," her mother replied._

_Emily looked to her dad, hoping that he'd shed some light, that he'd say that her mother had it all wrong. Actually, just hoping that he'd say anything. But he just nodded._

'_She's got him wrapped around her little finger,' Emily thought to herself sadly._

"_And if I get a job?" Emily asked. "That way I can pay for it myself."_

"_Come on, Emily! Will you get this silly idea out of your head? Why can't you be more like your sister Mel? She finished high school, found a good (read: rich) man and got married. That's exactly what you should do. Anyway, even if we do let you go to university, you'll only end up forgetting what you've learnt. And even if you don't forget, you can't put it into any kind of use. God knows you're not going to get a job!" her mother ranted._

"_But I am! I'm going to study hard and get my degree. Then I'll find a job and lead a normal life! I'm not going to be some housewife who leads a boring life waiting for her husband to get home from work day after day. I-"_

"_Next thing you know she's going to say she's going to fall in love, then marry and have lots of little children," her mum interrupted._

"_But I am going to marry for love! I don't know about having lots of little children, two or three would be enough," Emily replied. _

_She didn't know where she'd gotten the strength to talk like that to her mum. She'd certainly never talked back to her before, but she was so furious she didn't care about what she was doing._

"_That's it Emily! You are NOT going to university, understand? And if you ever bring this up again you can kiss your inheritance goodbye and your place in this family!"_

"…I ran off, trying not to cry. I never asked anything from them, not one thing. I'd been dreaming about going to university my whole life, and what hurt the most was that my dad knew it. And he didn't say anything. All throughout my mums rant, he didn't say one single thing. He just nodded his head and avoided my eyes. I couldn't believe it. So, I ran off to my grandma's house. I always went to her when times got tough and she'd always know what to do…"

"…_and t-they said that I w-wouldn't be p-part of t-the f-family anymore," Emily told her grandmother through tears and hiccups. _

"_Oh honey," her grandma Nora said, engulfing her granddaughter into a warm hug. "My poor baby. Are you absolutely sure that you want to go to university?" she asked Emily._

"_Yes," she answered nodding. "You know I've always wanted to go."_

"_Ok, well first things first, stop crying. Crying isn't going to help you get things done so calm down," Nora said quietly, as she rubbed her granddaughters back. "If you're really really sure that you want to go and you're so passionate about it, I'll pay for it."_

"_W-what?" Emily said incredulously._

"_You heard me. But I have two conditions. One, that you get good grades and two, that you're happy. I will also pay for your accommodations so you don't have to worry about anything but your studies ok?"_

"_Ok," Emily said, nodding her head enthusiastically. …_

"I was so happy; all I wanted to do was run home and pack my bags. But my grandma stopped me. She told me that I should send out my applications and wait to see if I got accepted. She didn't want me to rush into telling my parents when it wasn't a sure thing that I'd get in. So I filled out a few applications and as soon as I opened the letters and realized I'd been accepted in 3 different universities, I went home and started preparing myself. I told my parents the day before I was supposed to leave for New Jersey. They were stunned and at a loss for words. They couldn't believe I was actually going to do it, even after they'd promised to shun me. I haven't seen them since," Emily finished sadly. "I still go to my grandma's every now and then to see how she'd going and help her out a bit. I don't know what I would have done without her. She saved me from a meaningless life."

All throughout Emily's story, Matt had been silent. He listened to every little detail and tightened his hold on her every now and then. At the end of her story, he hugged her tightly, like he never wanted to let go. He couldn't imagine how her parents could do that. Parents are supposed to believe in you and support you in whatever you want to do. He wanted to hurt them for hurting Emily like that.

He didn't know what to say so he just held her, giving her small kisses on the top of her head to show his support. The laid like that in total silence for a few minutes before Emily spoke.

"I'm alright now," she said. "I got depressed and had to start taking anti-depressants but in the end I realized that they were the ones that were missing out. That they'd be the ones missing out on seeing their youngest daughter get married and having children of her own. They'd miss out on seeing me happy. I knew that I had my grandma and that was enough for me."

"But you shouldn't have gone through that," he whispered into her hair, loud enough for her to hear. "They're your parents. They're supposed to support you not disown you."

"I was more disappointed in my dad," Emily told him. "Growing up I was the typical daddy's little girl. I used to sit on his knee and tell him everything that I wanted to be in life and he used to encourage me. Tell me that I could be all that and so much more. I thought that he'd support me, but when he didn't back me up, it felt like I'd gotten sucker-punched."

"When my mum died," Matt began, "I thought the world was going to end. When I got up the day after, the world was still turning and I just couldn't see the justice in that. A brilliant woman had just died and next to no one knew about it. I felt like the oxygen had been knocked out of my lungs. Then my relationship with my dad went downhill and pretty soon I didn't even know my brother anymore. Life sucked. But it was all a matter of realizing that my mum wouldn't have wanted me to go through life a zombie, so I tried to get my act together. By then I had almost finished high school and was just too chicken to try and rekindle my relationship with my dad and brother."

Silence enveloped the room until Emily spoke quietly. "Come on, time to get up," she said.

**xxx**

_OK! That's chapter two! In case you didn't realize, what was written in italics was Emily memories, but while she remembered she was telling Matt about it. I thought it'd be a cooler way to do it and make the chapter longer._

_Review!!_


	3. Chapter 3

"You should call him," Emily told Matt while they were having breakfast.

"Call who?" Matt asked, confused.

"Your dad, and tell him that your going."

"Can you call him for me?"

"You're joking right? He's your father Matt. I can't call him, he doesn't even know me!"

"Have I ever told you how sexy you look when you get all worked up?"

"Oh rea-Don't change the subject. Call him," she said as she handed him the cordless phone.

Matt sighed and got up. He walked to the coffee table and picked up the gold and silver invitation. He scanned the invitation until he found his dad's phone number and he punched the numbers in.

"_Hello?" _asked the woman who picked up the phone.

"Ah, hello. Can I please speak with John Flannery?"

"_Sure thing. One second."_

He could hear the muffled sound of someone, he assumed the woman, calling out for someone. He could hear heavy footsteps getting nearer. He turned and saw Emily looking expectantly at him.

"_Hello?"_ asked a gruff yet surprisingly gentle voice.

"Hello, Dad?" Matt said unsurely.

"_Matt? Goodness, I wasn't expecting you to call."_

"Yeah," he saw Emily raise her eyebrow at him and he rolled his eyes while he turned around. "Um, I'm calling to let you know that I'll be able to make it to the wedding."

"…"

"Hello? Are you there?" Matt asked after a few seconds of silence.

"_Yes, I'm here. This is a shock! I thought for sure you'd say you couldn't come. But I'm glad you can. I miss you, Son,"_ Matt's dad said, his voice sincere.

"I-I miss you, too, Dad."

"_Ok, umm. Will you be bringing a guest?"_ his dad said, his voice sounding relieved.

"Yeah, I will," he answered, as he turned around again and saw Emily cleaning up the mess they'd made earlier.

"_Excellent. Can't wait to see you."_

"Me neither Dad."

"_Well I've got to go. Last minute wedding plans and all."_

"Ok, I'll see you soon."

"_Goodbye Matt."_

"See you later, Dad."

Matt hung up and set the phone on the table. He sat down and just stared into space. That's how Emily found him five minutes later, once she had finished cleaning up. She sat next to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"That wasn't so hard now was it?" she asked him.

"I guess not. Weird though."

"That's understandable. You haven't spoken to him in a few years."

"Thank you, for convincing me to go. It really is the right thing to do," he told her.

"Your welcome," she answered, giving him a small hug. "Come on, let's go for a walk."

**xxx**

Matt and Emily were walking towards a park that was a five minute walk from his apartment building. No words were necessary as they had grown comfortable enough with each other. Matt's arm was slung over her shoulder and Emily's was wrapped around his waist. Suddenly he began to laugh.

"What?" she asked with a confused look.

"I was just thinking about how we're both going to get time off to go to my dad's wedding," he said, laughing silently.

"What do you mean both?"

"I mean, I want you to come with me."

"To the wedding?"

"No to the grape picking marathon," Matt said rolling his eyes. "Of course the wedding."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

Emily rolled her eyes and looked pointedly at Matt, trying to hide the fact that she didn't know 'why not'. She was just afraid of what her going to his father's wedding meant to their relationship. She felt herself falling in love with him and that scared her. She'd never been in love before and she couldn't help thinking that one day, he'd realize he's better off without her and he'd leave her without a second thought, leaving her to pick up the pieces of her shattered heart.

"I want you to come with me. Most of my family is most likely going to be there and even though I haven't spoken to most of them since way before my mum died, I want to show off this amazing, beautiful woman who keeps putting up with me and who I…care a lot about. Anyway, I've already told my Dad I was bringing someone, and we both know there's no one I would rather take than you," Matt told her, as he watched her nervously bite her bottom lip. "Come on, you know you wanna."

"Ok. I'll go," she said after few seconds' deliberation.

Matt smiled and kissed her forehead. He was getting really excited about going to the wedding. All the apprehensiveness that he had had before about going had disappeared and now, he couldn't wait to go. He couldn't believe he still had to wait two weeks.

**xxx**

_Surprised I only received 5 reviews compared to the 15 I received for the first chapter. Was it that bad? LoL. Hope this one goes better.  
_

_Off topic: Is anybody else not receiving any alerts? It's really starting to annoy me LoL._


	4. Chapter 4

After a stressful week where hostage situation just kept on popping up everywhere, Matt and Emily found themselves having a few drinks and unwinding with the rest of their co-workers. They all sat around laughing and unwinding from a particularly bad week. The novelty of Matt and Emily being an item had worn off. Sadly, the jokes haven't.

"So, I guess that with all that's been going on this week you two haven't had much time to…have fun," Frank joked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"You'd be surprised. Oh and I'd definitely disinfect your desk if I were you," Matt retorted laughing, along with Emily, at Frank's face.

"You're kidding, right?" Frank asked, with a greenish tinge to his face.

"Yes, we are," Emily said, trying to contain her laughter.

"But, I got to hand it to you buddy, you're right. So, I'm stealing my very beautiful girlfriend here and we bid you all goodnight," Matt said wrapping his arm around Emily's waist and pulling her out of the pub.

**xxx**

"Get up!" Emily said the next morning, opening the curtains and letting the morning sun shine into the room. Matt groaned when the sun made contact with his eyes and he turned around.

"Come on, Matt," she said. "We've got to go shopping."

"Shopping? What for?" Matt croaked.

"You're kidding right?" Emily said. "Well for one, you need something to wear to the wedding. And two, we need to get your dad a wedding present. We can't just show up with nothing."

"Yes we can," He mumbled.

"What?"

"That's going to take _hours_," Matt whined.

"Well then, you better get that cute butt out of bed," Emily said cheekily.

Matt groaned as he reluctantly got out of bed. He shivered slightly as he lost the warmth his comforter gave him. He yawned as he scratched the back of his head and made his way to the ensuite. Emily lightly slapped his bum as he passed and giggling, she left his room, closing the door behind her. He laughed and shook his head as he finished his trek to the bathroom. He turned on the shower and quickly pulled his boxers down before stepping into the warm spray of water. The water pelting down onto his body got rid of the fog in his mind. He quickly washed his hair and lathered his body. He rinsed out the soap and got out of the shower. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he turned the tap on. He saved and brushed his teeth before leaving the bathroom and entering his bedroom. He picked out his clothes for the day and put it on.

The smell of bacon and eggs hit Matt's nose as soon as he opened his bedroom door. He slowly walked to the kitchen and he lent on the doorway, watching Emily cook. He marveled at how at home she looked there and how something so simple, so mundane could make his heart swell and happiness seep throughout his body. Emily turned to see him staring at her, and she looked at him warily.

"What?" she asked him suspiciously.

"Nothing. It's just…nothing," he told her.

"Ooookay," she said, letting it slide. "Well then, eat up," she said handing him a plate of bacon and eggs.

He took his plate to the dining table and sat down. Emily set her plate in the spot directly opposite where Matt was sitting and re-entered the kitchen. A few seconds later she returned with two glasses and a bottle of orange juice. She set it down in between them and sat down in her chair as Matt took a bite out of a piece of bacon.

"This is good!" Matt exclaimed.

"It's fried bacon Matt. It's not exactly rocket science," she laughed.

They ate the rest of their breakfast in comfortable silence and once they had finished, they each took their own plate and cup and set it inside the dishwasher. Emily slipped some shoes on as Matt grabbed his keys. He grabbed her hand as they left the apartment. He closed and locked the door behind them and waited for the elevator to reach their floor.

"So what's your dad's fiancé's name?" Emily asked him.

"Aaaa…I don't remember."

"Well look at the invitation."

"I don't have it on me."

"Matt! If we're going to buy them a present then we kind of need to know their names and the exact date of the wedding then don't we?" she told him, rolling her eyes.

Matt sighed as he turned and walked the few steps back to his apartment door. The elevator 'dinged' it's arrival just as Matt had unlocked the door. He groaned as he entered his apartment and searched for the invitation. He finally found it under the couch and he exited his apartment. He found Emily keeping the elevator doors open and he smiled at her. The ride down was comfortably silent. Hands linked, they got out of the elevator and left Matt's apartment building. They got into Matt's car and drove off to the Mall.

**xxx**

An hour later, they still hadn't bought anything and Matt was beginning to get edgy. He began to fidget and was bored out of his mind.

"Come on Emily, just pick something!" he whined.

"It's not like I can just pick anything. It's your dad's _wedding present_," she said. "It's got to be perfect."

"Well, don't they have a gift registry or something?"

"If they did we'd have left by now."

"Can I at least have something to drink? I'm thirsty."

"Fine," Emily said, sighing and shaking her head.

They made their way to a nearby café and ordered two cups of coffee before sitting down. They made small talk while they slowly sipped their hot coffee.

"You know we still have to buy our clothes," Emily reminded him.

Matt didn't say anything; he just groaned knowing that arguing wouldn't help him. She smiled up at him and leaned over to give him a kiss, which instantly made him feel better.

"Come on," he said. "The sooner we find something, the sooner we can leave."

They paid their coffees and left the café. Then they entered a small shop that was just next to the café. After a few minutes of looking, Matt called Emily over, thinking he had found the perfect gift.

"What do you think of this?" he said, showing her.

Emily had to agree that is was a great wedding gift. It was a bottle of champagne engraved with a heart and doves design. 'With love on your' was engraved on top of the design and 'wedding day' was engraved underneath it. The bottle came with its own gift box.

"Can I help you?" asked the shop assistant whose name tag read Tammy.

"Yeah, we were just wondering about this champagne bottle," Matt told her.

"It's really beautiful isn't it? A great wedding gift. You can also personalize it by adding your own message which is engraved on the back of the bottle."

"It's perfect," Emily said. "We'll take it."

Tammy picked it up and took it to the counter, Matt and Emily trailing behind her.

"Ok. Would you like to add the personalized message at the back free of charge?" she asked them.

"Sure," Matt said. "'With Love: Matt & Emily.'"

Emily opened her mouth to protest but she shut it and smiled once she saw Matt's expression, daring her to say something.

"Ok that comes to $97.99."

Matt took out his credit card and paid for the gift. A few seconds later, Tammy handed Matt a receipt and she told them that they could pick the present up in an hour. They smiled at her and waved goodbye.

"Now to my favourite part of the day," Emily said, grinning evilly. "Clothes shopping!"

"Oh no," Matt groaned.

**xxx**

_I had the address of a website which showed you the Champagne bottle, but I lost it…go me! Hehe…r'n'r!!_


	5. Chapter 5

Emily grabbed Matt's hand and pulled him into the closest clothing store. She slowly made her way up and down every isle, dragging Matt along with her. She took her time looking at the dresses there before deciding that there wasn't anything she liked.

They walked out of the shop and not long later, Emily found another shop that she wanted to check out. As she inspected the isles, she went handing Matt dresses which she wanted to try on. After searching each isle, she made her way to the fitting rooms to try the dresses on. One by one, the dresses were being taken off and thrown into a pile. It seemed that she had a problem with every one. She'd try one on, show Matt, and then decide she didn't like it.

"The hem's too short," she said for one.

"Oh no, big butt," she said for another.

Matt made the mistake of disagreeing with her when she was wearing a deep blue dress and she had said it made her look fat. She then fell into a rant about how she could barely fit into it and Matt was left with his mouth agape when she turned around and entered her stall, slamming the door shut. After trying on all the dresses she had liked, she groaned in frustration as Matt groaned in disbelief.

When his stomach rumbled, they decided to stop and have lunch before doing any more shopping. They decided to go eat at the same café they had had breakfast in. While they waited for their food to come, they held hands over the table and chit-chatted about nothing in particular.

"Who knew it would be so hard to find a dress you would like," Matt teased.

"It's easy to find a dress I'd like, it's hard to find a dress that I feel comfortable and sexy in."

"You could be wearing a garbage bag and you'd still look sexy."

Emily smiled as blush spread across her face. The waitress decided to appear at that moment with their food and they ate silently, speaking only a few words now and then. Once they had finished their meal and Emily tricked Matt into letting her pay, they once again began their hunt.

Emily pulled Matt into a men's store and she handed him multiple combinations for him to try on. Matt entered a fitting room and as he tried his first combination on, Emily made herself comfortable on a nearby chair and took her shoes off to relieve her aching feet. He'd try one combination on, model it to Emily, she'd decided she didn't like it, and he'd try something else on. Finally, after fifteen minutes of putting clothes on and off, Emily liked what she saw. He was wearing a pair of black slacks with a beige button down top.

"I still don't know why I can't just wear a pair of jeans and a top," Matt muttered. Emily heard him but chose not to say anything, just glare.

He took off the clothes and made his way to the counter to pay for them. Emily stayed behind, gathering her bag and putting her shoes back on. By the time she made it to the counter, she found the young sales clerk flirting with Matt so she casually slipped her arm around his waist and smile at her. The sales clerk's eyes opened wide and she quickly scanned the two pieces of clothing. Emily smiled at the young girls' reaction and soon after, they left the shop.

"What was that?" Matt asked her.

"What was what?"

"That, back there."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Emily said smiling.

Matt decided to let it drop as he pulled her close and softly kissed her cheek. They walked hand in hand into another shop and after half an hour of searching for dresses and trying them on, Emily exited the stall wearing a dress that took Matt's breath away. She was wearing a turquoise-coloured halter dress with uneven cut bottom, making her legs seem to go on forever.

"So what do you think?" she asked, giving him a twirl.

Matt didn't say anything, just stared at her while his mouth opened and closed like a fish. Emily looked at him expectantly and when he didn't say anything she waved her hand up and down in front of his face softly calling his name.

"Matt? Matt!"

"Huh? What?" he said, shaking his head.

"What do you think?" she asked again.

"God, you're beautiful," he whispered, loud enough for her to hear.

"So you like it?" she asked, trying to hide the blush that as trying to make it's presence known.

"Definitely."

"Ok," she said smiling. "I'm just going to take it off and then we can pick up the gift and leave."

Fifteen minutes later, they were inside Matt's car, making their way back to his apartment.

**xxx**

_Short, I know. But I've got my niece next to me going on and on about how she's bored so I better get off and entertain her before I explode LoL._

_You know the drill._


	6. Chapter 6

"So you're going to the wedding with him?" Lia asked Emily the next day at work.

"If Cheryl gives us both the time off," Emily replied, nodding her head.

"So, you guys are going steady?"

"I think so," she said slowly.

"You don't sound too happy."

"I am. I am. It's just," she sighed, "I guess I'm just scared about what I'm feeling, you know? At first we weren't really having much of a relationship; we were more like friends-with-benefits. Then after everyone found out about us, we went out on a date, and things have just been progressing into what they are today. I never really stopped to think about what was happening. All I really thought about was what a great guy he was, and before I knew it, I realized I was in love with him. And that just scares the living daylights out of me."

"Aww, that is so sweet!" Lia said, her eyes twinkling.

"Shut up," Emily said, playfully pushing Lia's shoulder.

"So have you told him yet?"

"Pfft, no! Do you have any idea how embarrassing it would be if he didn't feel the same way? No, I think I'll just keep it to myself. At least for a while longer."

**xxx**

"Matt and Emily sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. Fir-"

"Frank, shut it," Matt said. "It's surprising that you even know that rhyme."

"Admit it, you love her," Duff told him.

"Why? So I can hand you guys more ammunition? No thanks," Matt rolled his eyes.

Duff and Frank looked at each other and then sent a pointed look at Matt.

"OK, so maybe I more than like her, it doesn't necessarily mean I love her."

They raised their eyebrows.

"Ok, ok. I love her. Happy?"

"Very," Duff said, grinning.

"Good luck, man," Frank said, giving Matt a slap on the back.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"You'll know soon enough."

**xxx**

"Hey there," Emily said.

"Hi," Matt said, looking around to see if anyone was watching before planting a quick kiss on her lips. "Ready to go and see Cheryl?"

"Yeah, just hold on a sec."

Emily saved the file she was working on and shut down the computer before getting up and walking with Matt towards her boss' office. Once they reached the door, Matt lifted his arm and knocked twice.

"Come in."

Matt opened the door for Emily before following her inside and closing the door behind him.

"What can I do for you guys?" Cheryl asked.

"Well," Matt began, "You know how everything's been going slow lately."

"And the cases that have popped up have been fairly easy to resolve," Emily continued.

"We were hoping we could get a week off," Matt finished in a rush.

Cheryl looked at them, "Both of you?"

Matt and Emily glanced at each other before nodding.

"A week?"

Again they nodded.

"Well, as long as you leave a contact number in case of an emergency, I see no problem with that."

"Thank you ma'am," Emily said.

"Yeah, thanks Cheryl," Matt grinned.

**xxx**

_You know the drill…_

_Want more? Review more..hehe_

And sorry about the shortness. It just seemed like a good place to leave it.  



	7. Chapter 7

"Okay, so we have everything we need?"

"Yep!"

"Well then, let's get going," Matt said as he entered Emily's car. His car was at the mechanics as his air conditioning had broken down.

It was six o'clock in the morning and Matt and Emily yawned as they buckled up their seatbelts and began to make their way to Santa Monica. It was a one and a half day drive and the wedding was in two days. They figured that they'd get there by lunch the next day and have enough time to greet everyone and relax before the wedding day.

Both Matt and Emily had butterflies in their stomach, but each for their own reasons. Matt hadn't seen his dad in years and hadn't seen his family for even longer. He didn't know how to act around them, and worse yet, didn't know how they would act around him. He was most nervous about seeing his brother again. They had been close all throughout their childhood, but then their mother died, and they had become strangers to both each other and themselves.

Emily's butterflies wouldn't calm down. She tried negotiating with them, but obviously it didn't work. She was just so worried about whether Matt's family would like her or not. Sure Matt hadn't seen them in a long time, but they were still family, still flesh and blood. And if that wasn't enough, she was also worried about Matt. About how his family would react to seeing him after so long. She hoped that everything would run smoothly, but she wasn't naïve enough to believe that it would. She just wished that nothing too out there would happen. She took in a deep breath and slowly let it out.

Fifteen minutes later and music filled the silence. They hadn't spoken since they had left Matt's place and Emily felt herself falling asleep. She jerked herself awake and racked her brain for something to start a conversation with so she could stay awake. Thankfully, her stomach chose that moment to rumble, letting her know that she was hungry. Matt chuckled, obviously having heard it himself, and pulled off to a small café on the side of the road.

They both got out of the car and instinctively moved towards each other as they made their way into the café. A young waitress showed them to a table in the semi-crowded café and gave them both a menu and took their coffee orders before leaving to give them a moment to ponder what they wanted. Matt yawned and Emily rubbed her eyes as they scanned the menu.

"What do you think?" Matt asked her.

"Not sure, I think I'll just get a toasted ham and cheese croissant. What about you?"

"Chocolate-chip pancakes with whipped cream," Matt answered almost immediately.

Emily let out a chuckle, shaking her head. "Not very healthy. Do you want to get fat just before you see your family again?"

"I don't think I can change _that_ much in _one_ day," Matt told her, grinning.

Emily shook her head, smiling as the waitress returned to their table and gave them their coffees. She took their orders, and after some non-successful flirting with Matt, she left the table. They both took a small sip out of their cups and savored the taste.

'Why am I so nervous,' Emily thought to herself. 'Okay Em, just take some deep breaths and everything will be fine.'

Matt noticed Em's deep breathing and reached over the table to grab her hand. "Don't worry, you'll do great!"

"Aren't I supposed to be comforting you?" Emily smiled.

"You've done your fair share of comforting this past week. Now it's my turn." He responded before planting a small kiss on her hand.

They received their food and ate it in silence. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, it was the complete opposite. Both were comfortable just sitting quietly and occasionally giving the other a forkful of their food. Half an hour later they had finished eating and were just sitting, hands entwined, and talking about everything and nothing at the same time. After taking a quick look at the time, they decided that it was time they got back onto the road. Matt quickly paid for their meal while Emily went outside and started the car. Stuffing the change into his pocket, Matt approached the car on the driver's side and waited for Emily to shuffle over to the other side. After waiting for a few seconds he quickly realized that she had no intention of moving over as she looked at him and flashed him a grin.

"Come on Em, shove over," he told her.

He saw her shake her head 'no' and promptly buckle her seatbelt on. Looking up at the sky, he groaned before circling the car and slipping into the passenger seat. He looked at Emily, giving her the evil eye. She took a quick glance at him before cracking up laughing and putting the car into gear.

"Meanie," Matt said pouting.

He reached over to the radio and switched it on.

_In a second you'll be wrapped around my finger,_

'_Cause I can, 'cause I can do it better.._

"There's no other, so when's it gonna sink in? She's so stupid, what the hell were you thinking?" Emily sung along.

Matt's eyes widened before he quickly reached out and turned the radio back off.

"Hey!" Emily protested.

"There is absolutely NO way I'm listening to that song…ever!"

"But it was just ending," she moaned.

"Not caring."

"Well then what do you suggest we do smarty-pants?"

"Smarty-pants?" Matt laughed. "How original."

"Oh be quiet," she said, trying to stifle her laugh.

"Game time! Let's play Geography," he said, jumping up and down in his seat. His eyes began to slowly widen at Emily's slightly confused face. "You don't know how to play Geography?"

"Nope."

"Unbelievable! Well, you start with a place name like California, and the next person has to think of a place that begins with the last letter of California," Matt explained.

"Ooooh, I know this game."

"Ok! I start, California."

"Alabama," she said shaking her head at how child-like he had suddenly become.

"Antarctica,"

Twenty minutes later, they were still playing. Matt was getting excited because it was taking Emily longer and longer to think of places.

"Umm, Waikikamukau." (A.N: Ok people, this is pronounced why-kick-a-moo-cow haha.)

"What! You're making that up."

"I'm serious. It's a place in New Zealand."

"Now you're just trying to make yourself sound smart."

"Don't believe me? I have an atlas in the glove compartment, go and look."

Matt reached forward and opened the compartment. Sure enough there was an atlas in there, he grabbed it and started searching for Waikikamukau. After a few minutes he found it.

"Haha, that is so cool," he said laughing.

Emily shook her head but laughed along with him, "See, I told you."

"There's also a place called 'Shag Point' in New Zealand."

"Did you know that you have to go through 'Intercourse' to get to 'Paradise'? Both places in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania."

Matt started to laugh uncontrollably and pretty soon, Emily had joined in too. Matt then spent the next hour or so looking up funny place names in the atlas.

**Xxx**

Ok, ok, so you guys have every right to kill me. It has been aaaaaaaaaaaaaages since I last updated. What can I say? I'm the queen of procrastination. At least this chapter made you laugh, right?? And by the way, yes these are all real place names. Thanks to all that helped me figure out what MnEm could do during their trip.

xoxo

Comment?


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